SoundCloud is parting ways with its Chief Content Officer – at least the fourth senior figure to leave the digital company this year.
Stephen Bryan joined the streaming platform in 2014, moving across after serving 17 years at Warner Music Group.
New York-based Bryan (pictured inset) was responsible for closing SoundCloud’s label and publishing deals with the likes of Warner, Sony and Universal – agreements which enabled the launch of subscription offering SoundCloud Go.
He will leave SoundCloud at the end of June.
“Stephen’s ability to negotiate favorable deals for SoundCloud with key industry players was instrumental in getting us to where we are today, and we wish him the best,” said Alexander Ljung, co-founder and CEO of SoundCloud.
“Under Stephen’s leadership, our world-class content, strategy, and creator products teams established pivotal industry partnerships that prepared us for our next phase of growth.”
Prior to joining SoundCloud, Bryan was Warner Music Group’s Executive Vice President, Digital Strategy & Business Development. Discussing his exit today, the exec said he was “confident our industry partners are in great hands and I look forward to following SoundCloud’s continued success.”
“Stephen’s ability to negotiate favorable deals for SoundCloud with key industry players was instrumental in getting us to where we are today, and we wish him the best.”
Alexander Ljung, SoundCloud
News of Bryan’s departure comes three months after SoundCloud split with its COO Marc Strigel and Finance Director Markus Harder.
It also lost General Counsel Neil Miller this year, who left to join JAG Shaw Baker – and was replaced by Merritt Farren.
Those exits came off the back of the Berlin-based company filing a fiscal report for 2015 showing annual revenues up 21.6% to €21.1m ($22m), but net losses accelerating 30.9% to €51.22m ($52m).
Ljung told his investors at the time: “Whilst the directors believe that the Group will have sufficient funds to continue to meet its liabilities through 31 December 2017, the risks and uncertainties may cause the company to run out of cash earlier than that date, and would require the Group to raise additional funds which are not currently planned.
“These matters give rise to a material uncertainty about the Group’s ability to continue as a going concern.”
SoundCloud currently offers three tiers of pricing.
Access to its standard platform remains free, while consumers can upgrade to SoundCloud Go for $4.99 a month.
This offers users offline listening and no ads, but does not include access to the premium catalogues of major and indie labels.
For that, they have to subscribe to SoundCloud Go+, which typically retails at $9.99-per-month.Music Business Worldwide
